JACKSON - Some lawmakers are asking Gov. Haley Barbour to expand the agenda of the current special session to include reauthorization of the Department of Human Services.
"This should be straightforward and it should not take us long," House Public Health and Human Services Chairman Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, said today.
Barbour said Thursday that he would call another special session by July 1 if no other solution is found to keep the DHS in business.
Last week, the governor said he could run the agency by executive order for up to a year after lawmakers couldn't agree on continuing the agency during the just-ended 2004 regular session.
Attorney General Jim Hood says the governor doesn't have the authority to take charge of the agency.
On Thursday, Barbour said he was surprised by Hood's opinion "since 10 years ago the governor did, in fact, run the Department of Human Services."
Former Gov. Kirk Fordice was ready to take over DHS after lawmakers failed to pass a funding bill for the agency. Instead, Fordice called lawmakers back in to a special session to address the issue.
While Barbour questioned why there would be a problem now, he said he didn't "intend to litigate this issue with the attorney general."
"If that's his opinion," Barbour said, "then I will work with the Legislature and include it at the appropriate time in consideration of the reauthorization of the DHS in a special session before the first of July."
Hood said Thursday he had not had time to review Barbour's remarks.
"I am just glad to hear he is going to call a special session and avoid a shutdown of the Department of Human Services," Hood said.
Lawmakers started a special session Wednesday after Barbour called them back to consider voter identification and limits on civil lawsuits. The governor controls the special-session agendas. He could expand the current one, but said he doesn't intend to drag it out by adding the DHS issue.
State agencies routinely have to be reauthorized by the Legislature every few years. Lawmakers keep the so-called sunset provisions in law to give themselves some degree of oversight of the agencies.
"DHS has been the most poorly run, inefficient agency in the state government for years," Barbour said. "It's been sued by the federal government. It has got to be reformed."
Barbour said he hoped the Legislature's wanting to get back reauthorization of DHS "is indicative of their desire to reform it so the people who rely on DHS service will have something reliable."
Holland said earlier that the Senate refused to sign a compromise bill reauthorizing the agency because senators wanted DHS out from under the Personnel Board and to allow it to hire its own attorneys - measures supported by Barbour.
Lifting Personnel Board restrictions would clear the way for some employees to be fired.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
